Three out of four people in South Carolina – a state with more than 4.5 million people – are living without God in their lives, former missionary-surgeon Rebekah Naylor told those attending one of three Women’s Lifestyle Evangelism conferences across South Carolina in January.
Acoustic duo Amy Campbell and Cassie Cox.For three consecutive days last month – Jan. 27 at Taylors First Baptist (733 in attendance), Jan. 28 at Ocean View Baptist in Myrtle Beach (481) and Jan. 29 at Columbia First Baptist (1,961) – Naylor and other speakers told of practical ways women can reach their communities. The theme was “God’s Plan for Sharing: What’s in Your Hand.”
Speaker Laslene Glymph, women’s ministry associate for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, told the audience to hold out their hands and think about what skills, talents and abilities are in their hands. “God can take whatever is in your hands and use it, whether it is making calls, praying, visiting people or helping people,” she said. “No one is without a skill that God can use if we will give it to him.” Glymph shared the story of how her 90-year-old mother led her nursing home caregiver to Jesus.
Speaker Laslene Glymph asked the attendees to look at their outstretched hands and ask God what he has already given them to use in evangelism.Another way to share Christ was presented by Pat Brinsfield and Yvonne Frederick, who talked about how to host a “Christmas Gathering.” The ministry idea was born 30 years ago when a group of women in Minneapolis decided to have a party to share the meaning of Christmas with their neighbors. Today, Christmas Gatherings is a worldwide ministry. More than 18,000 have attended, and 2,000 have accepted Jesus.
At a Christmas Gathering, there is a giver and receiver, and the gift is Jesus. “It goes back to John 3:16, where God gave his son Jesus to die for our sins,” said Brinsfield. “[The gift] is free and is offered to each of us.” Brinsfield is a ministry assistant with the SCBC missions mobilization team. Frederick has served as a short-term missionary to South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica and in the U.S.
Rebekah Naylor grew up at Columbia First Baptist, where her father was pastor. God led her to become a surgeon, and she spent 35 years in India serving as a missionary. Today she is a healthcare consultant to Baptist Global Response. “I did not want to leave the U.S., but God had a plan,” she said. “Five medical schools in India had no Christians, but six women met, and now there are Christian evangelicals on each campus.”
Naylor related the story of a patient who was not getting better, but then began to improve. She told Naylor she wanted to sing a song about Jesus. “The patient told me, ‘It doesn’t matter if I live or die, because I know I am going to heaven to be with him.’ Yes, God had a plan, but there are people everywhere who have never heard the word of God,” Naylor said.
Naylor spoke of the “mystery of the gospel” and how believers need a renewed sense of urgency to share it with others. “Our society responds to those who are physically lost; we send out search teams and offer international news coverage to stories like the rescue of the Chilean miners,” she said. “Are we that concerned about people who are spiritually lost? Do we really care?”
A group from Doctor’s Creek Baptist Church, Walterboro, attended the conference in Columbia on Jan. 29. From left: Debbie Avant, Andrea Hall, Leigh Cook and Micki Avant.Speaker Ruth McWhite, director of women’s ministries at North Greenville University, has served as an International Mission Board missionary in Costa Rica and Ecuador. She told the audience that she loves to start a conversation with ”How are you?” McWhite said that sometimes the response is, “Great,” but if the answer is, “Pretty good,” then it opens an opportunity. “?’Pretty good’ says they may have a need,” McWhite said. “Let the discussion go deeper and find the need, and let God take control.”
Lynda Estep, wife of Columbia First Baptist Church pastor Wendell Estep, said, “When you attend these meetings, you are renewed to share Jesus even more. The young women I meet have a rebirth of ‘family first.’ They are returning to nurturing, involvement and concern for family and the importance of sharing God.”
A group of women from Doctor’s Creek Baptist Church in Walterboro make an annual trip to the conference. “This is my third conference,” said Leigh Cook, “and every year I have a spiritual renewal and get a lot out of hearing the speakers.”
Carolyn Daubenspeck attended with 10 members from Kelleytown Baptist Church in Hartsville. “All the speakers gave us food for thought,” she said. “We will go home with new ideas for projects.”
Gwen Williams went to Columbia with nine other women from Barnwell. “I have seen more women step out and be vocal about the mission that God has given us,” she said. “A movement has opened with discussions that we didn’t discuss much in the past. We are more motivated to go back to our church and community and share God’s will in helping people.”
– Baxley is a freelance writer for magazines, newspapers and the website, http://mymissionfulfilled.com. (This story contains additional reporting from the communications office of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.)